


Safe Places

by Spazzo47



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: Episode 2.04, F/M, Heavy Angst, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-30 17:13:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12113397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spazzo47/pseuds/Spazzo47
Summary: Missing scene from the end of Unintended Consequences.  This is for Lilac Mermaid's September Fan Fiction Challenge, Let's See Some Sports.





	Safe Places

_She was completely enveloped in blue, able to feel the bubbles escaping up away from her. She felt warm and safe, like she could stay here forever. As she floated up to the surface, the air hit her and she looked around excited when she found her mom. “Mommy! Mommy! Did you see?” Hailey Jordan ran to her daughter in the pool with a bright smile on her face._

The turbulence on the plane jostled Maggie awake with a start. She felt a hand under hers while she tried to figure out where she was and what happened. What happened seems like an important question with an answer just out of reach. While she concentrated, another hand laid on top of hers, she recognized it as an attempt at comfort. “It’s okay, Maggie. We’re on our way home.”

Maggie looked at the man next to her, still feeling disoriented, but she didn’t want to let him know. She felt… wrong. Something wasn’t right, but she didn’t know why. She didn’t recognize the person next to her, but she felt like she should and that she could trust him. She nodded her head and gave a quick “thanks” before turning away from him and resting her head against the pillow pinned by her body to the wall.

“I called Mac, she’s going to meet us at the airport when we get in.”

Mac. Maggie thought for a second. Mac. Mac. She likes Mac. That much she knows. She nodded her head and tried to get comfortable.

“She said you need to sleep. You can use my shoulder if that would be more comfortable.”

Gary watched Maggie’s face change as she thought through whatever she thought he said. He felt helpless. He watched Maggie hold herself together while the bus took the orphans to the nearest town. They were able to get a message to the Americans to meet them. The kids went to a church to sleep, the military took Gary and Maggie immediately to a base in Entebbe. Maggie cried as soon as they left the church, but not before, earning Gary’s respect. The medics took her quickly, over Gary’s objections that nearly got him kicked off base. When he couldn’t see what they were doing to her, he called Mac and she kept her cool, much better than he did. She asked what they were giving her. Gary stopped someone who came from Maggie’s room and found out. Mac recognized the medication and told him in very measured tones that it was probably the best thing for her right now. They basically knocked her out so she can get on an airplane and come home. She warned that Maggie may be disoriented or even delusional when she woke up, but she’ll be too tired to be a danger to herself or anyone else. She warned him to keep her comfortable and make her feel safe. Gary’s heart pounded throughout the call, but he nodded his head vigorously and said he would.

“I know you will. She needs you Gary. She’s going to be scared when she wakes up and she’s going to feel like it’s happening again. You have to make sure she feels safe. That’s the best thing you can do for her. Keep her medicated and keep her safe.”

“I will.”

Gary helped get Maggie on the plane and sat close to her. He wanted to make sure that she would see a familiar face when she woke up.

Mac slowly took her phone from her ear and held it loosely at her side, putting her other hand to her mouth. She felt tears sting her eyes. Before she could collect herself she heard the door to the staircase she ducked into to take the call open. She tried to turn before the intruder could see her, but she was too late.

“Mac?” Fuck! It had to be him, didn’t it? She tried to hide wiping the tears away and took a breath before facing him. “Mac? Are you okay?”

“Yes Will, I’m fine. What do you need.”

He took a couple steps closer to her, examining her face. “Have you been crying?”

“Will, I’m okay. I just need a minute by myself.”

“Mac, if this is because… Like I told you last night, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Mac sent him a glare that literally knocked him backward a step. “God damn it man! Does your ego know no bounds? I don’t give a damn who you’re dating, though I did hope that you would have better taste than a cheap gossip columnist.”

Will looked down, feeling ashamed. “What’s going on Mac. I saw you run in here and… I don’t know. I thought…”

“It’s Maggie.” Will looked up, trying to make eye contact with his executive producer. “There was a group of cattle raiders and while she helped to evacuate the orphans, the one she was carrying got shot and died.”

“Oh my God. How is she?”

“She and Gary are on an American base and she’s taking some strong meds to knock her out until she can get home. I’m picking her and Gary up as soon as possible and she’ll need to start therapy immediately.”

Mac started to leave until Will grabbed her arm pulling her back to him. He looked at her wanting to put his arms around her, but knowing better. “I have a guy if you need it.”

“None of us needs the great Will McAvoy to ride to our rescue.” She pulled from him and started walking again. “I need to call Jim.”

“Why Jim?”

Will saw every feeling Mac felt for him, for them, and for Maggie in her face when she turned around. “Because he didn’t mean to hurt her either.”

Will put his head down again. When he heard the door close, he punched a wall with the side of his fist. Once he calmed down, he took out his phone and made a call. “Nina, I’m sorry but I have to cancel for tonight… I told you last night, that was to make amends with a college student who found me smug… No, this has nothing to do with Mackenzie… I need to go, I’ll call you later.” Will hung up the phone and went back to his office. He didn’t know how to help Maggie or Mac, but if something came up, he’d be around.

\--------------------

_Maggie was 6 the first time she competed in a swim meet. She worked so hard to learn the freestyle, telling her mom that if she worked really hard she would go to the Olympics, or, and her eyes got big, “Maybe I’ll turn into a mermaid!” She stood on the platform determined, waiting for the beep that would start the race. She was focused on the one sound she learned to wait for and when she heard it, she dropped into the water, completely immersed in it. She felt so safe and warm. There was no where she would rather be. The air wasn’t warm when it hit her face, but she didn’t notice, she had to swim as fast as she could. And then she was floating, in the water. She wondered if this was what it felt like to be in the womb. Everything was in slow motion, she didn’t know if her hearing was better or worse down here, but she knew she felt safe and warm and she never wanted to come up. Maggie has never felt as safe as when she was in the water._

Gary watched her sleep. She seemed at peace and he debated with himself about whether to wake her to take the next pill. The medics were clear that he must make sure she took her pills on time. They didn’t say what would happen if she didn’t, but Gary imagined her waking up reliving the who incident and then even he and the soldier with them wouldn’t be able to hold her down to give her the next pill. He looked at the pill bottle and calculated the time again, making sure that he had to wake her now. He shook her shoulder. “Maggie, Maggie, wakeup.”

_Hailey Jordan called from downstairs, “Wake up Maggie! We need to get ready for your meet.”_

_“Mom! Is it time to go?”_

Gary wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t know if hearing his voice would take her out of her delirium or not. “Come on, you just need to take this and then you can go back to sleep.”

“And then I can go swimming.”

Gary felt his mouth open and close, hoping to pick the right words. “Yes, take this pill and we’ll go swimming.” He put the pill in her mouth and added water. He stopped pouring it when it started coming out of her mouth and then he closed her mouth. The medics said she would naturally swallow, and she did. He thought the military plane they were on started getting colder, so he found another blanket for her and tucked her in tight. She drew it up even closer to herself. Gary tried to put his head back and get some sleep. It would be a long, long flight.

\----------------

Mac picked up her laptop and purse to go home. As she turned to close her office door, she saw the light in Will’s office still on. She locked her door and took a breath before going to see him.

“What are you working on?”

Will looked up at her and shrugged his shoulders. “I could ask you the same question.”

“You could I guess.”

Will looked at her and saw something he’s never seen before. He started walking toward her while he said, “I’m worried about you Mac.”

“Don’t you have –“

“Don’t Mac. Don’t make this about her. It’s not.” He put his hands on her shoulders to keep her still and looked her in the eye. “I’m worried about you. You know, you think that as my EP, you know everything about me, can anticipate my moves and needs before I even know.”

“It’s not just because –“

“But that’s not one way.” Will took a breath and said, “And yes, okay, we know each other because we were in love. And maybe this… whatever the fuck it is with Nina is going to ruin this friendship we’ve created since then. But I know that this thing with Maggie is bringing up something for you that I don’t know anything about. And I want to, Mac. You’re my best friend.” Saying it out loud to her, it almost made Will cry. He never thought about it before now, but for him friendship, the friendship that he felt for Mac, was far more intimate that anything he was doing with Nina.

Mac scoffed. “I thought Charlie held that title.”

“He’s a good friend and a mentor, but he’s not you.” Will watched as she slowly nodded her head in understanding. He hoped that she understood, that she knew him as well as they both thought. He squeezed her shoulders a little tighter, pulling her to him and put his arms around her. He felt her sob as tears began to wet his shirt. “You try to be so strong for everyone else. You don’t have to be for me.” Will put his chin on her head as she curled further into him. He rubbed her back and started gently swaying. When her sobbing started to calm and her grip on his shirt loosened, he started to let go.

“When are you picking her up?”

“Plane’s coming in from Dubai at 5PM tomorrow. Jim is on his way back, but Jerry with run you. I won’t be back in time for the show.”

“Let me get Sloan to cover me and I’ll go with you.”

Mac shook her head. “She’s not going to want people around. If the meds have worn off… she doesn’t want an audience. It’s going to hit her like an assault. She’s going to relive it, over and over. She’ll think she’ll never stop seeing his face. She doesn’t need a lot of people around.”

“It’s only one extra person and I can help, both of you.”

Mac looked him in the eye and shook her head. “You can’t. You haven’t held the body of a person who took a bullet meant for you.” Mac squeezed his hand and left as fast as she could away from him. She didn’t want him anywhere around when she relived this.

\-------------------------

Mac met Gary and Maggie at the airport and the trio got their luggage without a word between them. She took Gary home first and told him that he needed to report to HR first thing in the morning. She then took Maggie to see the therapist Mac saw. Maggie was awake, but didn’t say anything, Mac assumed she was trying to process what happened. The doctor evaluated Maggie and sent a list of prescriptions home with Mac. Mac got the scripts filled and brought Maggie home with her. Mac kept a running commentary as she ran a bath for Maggie, just in case Maggie could comprehend anything she said. Mac told her that long baths always relaxed her.

Maggie watched the water fill the tub and said, “I always loved the water. My first memory was being in a swimming pool. I was 6 and wanted to be an Olympic swimmer, or a mermaid.” Mac chuckled and then got serious when the younger woman still stared into the middle distance. “Daniel was 6. He’s never been swimming. He’s never had a long bath. And now he never will.”

Mac put her arms around Maggie as she cried. Maggie decided she didn’t want a bath, she just wanted to go to sleep. Mac nodded her head at the decision and gave her a sleeping pill, careful to not let the assistant producer know where she kept the medicine. Mac waited in her room until Maggie fell asleep.

\------------------------

Will heard the elevator door open and left his office to greet Mac. Mac sighed as she saw him impede her path to her office. “You know, people may start to forget you have a girlfriend if you keep staying late.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

Mac smirked at him, “I seem to remember hearing that before. Just be sure you mean when you say that to her.”

Will decided not to rise to the bait this time. “How is she?”

Mac gave him a quizzical look. “Is that why you’re here? You could have texted me. You don’t need to be here at 1:30AM.”

“I knew you’d come here eventually. People always go to where they feel safe during times of stress.”

“And you think my office is my safe place?”

Will gave her a genuine smile. “Do you think I didn’t know that you used to go to the control room or an edit bay after you knew I fell asleep?” She smiled back sheepishly, biting her bottom lip. “I knew how much work you left at night when we went home and I knew that there was significantly less on your to do list a half hour after we got in.”

The duo looked at each other, remembering their time together. Mac remembering the lengths she went through to only be gone for a couple hours so she could wake up with his arm protectively slung around he body. The feeling of being completely safe, knowing he would never let anything happen to someone he loved. She wondered if Nina felt the same way when… she couldn’t finish the thought.

“Maggie’s got a long road ahead of her. I’m going to keep her at my place for a few days, I don’t want her to be alone.”

Will nodded his head. “And how are you?”

“I’m fine. I want to make sure that Maggie comes out of this okay and to do that, I need to get a little work done for tomorrow’s show. _That’s_ why I’m here.”

Will put his arms around her, holding her close. “That may be part of it, Mac. But that’s not all of it. I fell in love with you when I saw how much you came alive in the control room. You always go back to your safe place. Always.”

Mac allowed herself to feel the sensations for Will being all around her. She felt a tear roll down her face as she realized that he was right. She did make it to her safe place.


End file.
